Lubricating apparatus



.June 25, 1929. H. J. MURPHY LUBRICATTNG APPARATUS Filed Janv 9, 1926 IRI..

w" mm, JC W @w b M Q ,S www @dvx Il www m, m n u .:L t a l .WWW

3971,31 Jiffy@ Patented .lune 25, 1929.

UNITE-D STATES 4PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD JT. MURPHY, READING, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T ALEMITE MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, -A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LUBRICATING APPARATUS.

appucauon med January e, ieee. eel-iai No. 80,243.

rl-his-invention aims to provide improvements in lubricating apparatus.

ln the drawings which illustrate a preterr'e'd embodiment of my'invention7 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic layout of a )referred form ot lubricating system, showing parts ot the system in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 ot lFig. 1, being partly in elevation; A

llig. 3 is a detail vievv ot the switch showing the relation ot the cooperating parts alter the button on the dash has been pulled to start the motor; l

lFig. t is a section through one ot the lubricant measuring" pressure multiplying devices showing the osition of the parts when the measurin chamber is being tilled with lubricant; an

lfig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4 but showing the relation ot parts When the lubricant has been torced to the part to be lubricated.

Referring to the drawings, l have illustrated a central lubricating system which is particularly useful in connection with lubricating various bearings ot a motor vehicle. rll`he system includes lubricant-measuring devices or cups 1 located adjacent to the parts to be lubricated,a motorl driven pump 2 tor supplying lubricant to the cups, a supply reservoir 3 and a pipe system connecting the cups with the pump and the pump with the reservoir.

Any suitable reservopr'may be provided tor the lubricant supply, but 1 have illus-v trated in cross-sectionI a portion ot the erankcasc ot the motor ot the vehicle so as to show that lubricant may be supplied to the pump from that source thereby eliminating the added expense et installing a separate tank. y l

'lhe pump 2 is illustrated as a relatively small piston pump having the piston l driven through an eccentric 5 by a small electric motor 5". .il uwl" 6 is secured to the end of the pump 2. lli suitable pipe (it connects the cranltcase vvith one end ot the "l" as illustrated, `while a pipe system 7 connects the remaining end ot the 'l'Il with the various cups l. 'lhe l ti is chambered to receive a spring-pressed ball clieclt valve t; to prevent return ot lubricant through the pipe il and is also chamlu-red to receive a second .spring-pressed ball checlr valve 9 voperated in one to prevent return of lubricant from the pipe system 7 to the pump 2.

Each lubricant device or cup 1 has a bore in which a combined piston 10 and piston stem 11 may reciprocate to force apredetermined quantity ot lubricant under pressure from the cup; The bore var-ies in diameter from the Vinlet to the outlet end ot thecup to provide a space 12 around the piston when urged into itsnor'mal position by the spring 13. Beyond the space 12 'the bore provides a measuring chamber 111-,

While beyond this chamber the bore is reduced to provide a Wall 1d with vvhich the end 15 ot the piston stem normally engages to prevent direct passage ot lubricant from the chamber to the outlet passage 16. The outlet passage is located just beyond the Wall which contacts with the end oi the piston stem. v

- The means for starting and stopping the electric motor for operating the pump 2 includes a snap switch device which carries one ot the contacts 17 for making and breaking the circuit With the stationary contact 18 to start and stop the motor 5a. This snap switch is mounted for operation upon a cylinder bloclr 19 as illustrated in Fig. 1. The switch is operated in Aone direction by pulling upon a button 20 at the end ot a rod 21 which asses through the motor veli1cle,'for convenient operation, and :is secured to one ot the ivoted arms ot the snap switch. The svvitcli is operated in the opposite direction by a piston 23 reciprocahle in a chamber 24 in the piston block 19. l'lhe piston carries a stem. 25 which con-v tacts with a second pivoted arm ot the snap switch. e

The piston 23 in the piston bloclr 19 is direction by lubricant under pressure supplied to the bloclr through .a

the dash 22 ot 65 conduit 26 connecting the chamber 2t with the pipe s stem 7. The piston bloclr turther provi es 4means sure oit the lubricant in the pipe system. as more lully hereinafter described. lthe means tor reducing the pressure in the pipe system is associated with the piston 23 and includes a port 27 leading trom one side ot the chamber and connected by a conduit 2d to the cranltcase above the normal level otthe lubricant in the cranlrcase.

lvlllnen it is desirable to lubricate the bear for reducing the pres- Y ings of the motor vehicle,

opening the chamber 144 tb the operator simply pulls out the button 20 on the dash of the motor vehicle, thereby operating the snap switbh so that the contact 17 is urged into engagement with the contact 18, in Fig. 3, to completethe circuit` between the battery and the motor. As the. motor rotates, the eccentric 5 and as it is connected with the reciprocates it in the lubricante amberl of the pump.- During the back stroke of the piston, lubricantis drawn from the crankcase 3 through the pipe 6a andv ast the valve 8 into the pump Where it is orced out past.

the valve 9 in the pipe system upon the return stroke 'of the piston 4. Normally the piston 10 and piston stem 11 in each of the lubricant-measuring and pressure-multiplyvfing' cups is in the position shown in Fig."

4, so that as the lubricant is pumped through the pipe system 7, it may pass aroundthe pistons 10 into the chamber 14 of each cup. but not past the end 15 of the piston stem 11. When the chambers 14 are filled with lubricant, the pump 2 builds upa pressure in the pipe system 7 which is sufficient to move the pistons 10 so that they enter the chambers 14 and cut oil the supply of lubricant thereto. During' the stroke of the piston between closing the chamber 14 and the outlet passage 16 of the cup, the lubricant may pass by the cup leather until the reduced portion of the piston stem 11 connects the chamber 14 with the outlet passage 16 as more fully set forth in m co-pending application Serial No. 80,247 filed herewith. 'Thereafter the lubricant in the system'7 presses a ainst the cup leather o'f the piston 10 an' vents further escapev of lubricant. As the Ypiston moves toward the outlet end of the chamber 14, it forces all the lubricant therefrom around the reducedportion of the piston stem past the wall 14 and through the dischar e passage 16 to the part to be lubricate During'the time 'that the pistons 10. in the cups 1 are discharging lubricant, lubricant pressure in the system is at the same time acting upon the piston 23and the piston block 19 to'throw the-switch and break the circuit between the contacts 17 and 18, thereby stopping the motor 5*. The pressure required to throw the switch is not built up in the system until after all of the pistons 10 in the cups 1 have reached the ends of their strokes. After the switch has assumed the osition shown in Fig. 1, the lubricant passing through the'pipe26 in the chamber open the lubricant is forced from the cups a 1 by the springs 13, and the lubricant passes as illustratedl is in turn rotatedl iston 4 it' 3 features illustrated -prethrough the pipe system 7 andthe pipes 26 and 28 back into the crankcase so that they may assume their normal position as shown in Fig. 4. Thus, the various parts of thc lubricating system assume their normal position and are ready at any time to repeat the operation asdescribed'.

The pipe 6a is connected to the crankcase at a point above where it might draw enough lubricant from the crankcase to injure the motor.

From the above description it will be readily understood that I have provided a lubricating system which is simple in construction, positive in operation and automatically stops after a predetermined quantity of lubricant has been forced to cach part to be lubricated. f The measuring cups disclosed in this application are claimed in my copending application Serial No. 235,492 and certain other or described herein are claimed more specifically in my other cepending applications.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodunent 1. A central lubricating system comprising, in combination, a plurality of lubricant supply cups each adjacent a bearing to be lubricated and 'having means therein to deliver a predetermined quantity of lubricant to their respective bearings, a supply reservoir, a power operated pump for withdrawing lubricant from said reservoir and forcing lubricant to said cups, a branched piping system connectin said pump with said cups', special means or controllingr the operation of said pump, and lubricant operated means for actuating said control means to stop said pump when a predetermined puantity of lubricant has been discharged rom said system.

2. A lubricating system comprising, in combination, aplurality of lubricant-measuring discharge cups, lubricant-mcasuring means associated with said cups for supplying a predetermined quantity ofA lubricant under pressure to parts to be lubricated, means normally preventing flow of lubricant beyond said cups, a motor driven pump for supplying the lubricant to said cuis through a pipe system connecting all of said cups with said pump, and for operating the means associated with said cuis, a supply reservoir connected with sai pump .for sup lying lubricant thereto, valves located t tlie inlet and outlet passage of the 'pump for permitting passage of lubricant iny one uring direction only and lubricant pressure operated means for stopping the action of the motor and releasing the pressure of the luyinder having an inlet port connected to-said conduit systeml and an outlet port communicating with said source, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, resilient means operative to maintain said piston in position to prevent dow of lubricant from said conduit system to said source, manual means for closing said switch, and a lost motion connection between said piston and said switch whereby the latter may be suddenly opened upon a predetermined lubricant pressure in said conduit'system.

4. A central lubricating system, comprising an electric motor, a lubricant pump driven thereby, a source of lubricant for said pump, a plurality of lubricant measuring devices adjacent the bearings to be lubricated, a conduit system connecting said devices with said pump, a by-pass from said conduit system to said source, and a control valve operable upon a predetermined pressure in said conduit system to open said by-pass and concurrently control the operation of said motor.V

5. A central lubricating system, comprisin an electric lmotor, a lubricant pump driven thereby, a source of lubricant for said pump, a plurality of lubricant measuring ldevices adjacent the bearings to be lubricated, a conduit system connecting said devices with said pump, and means operable 4upon a predetermined lubricant pressure in said conduit s stem concurrently to stop said motor an open a by-pass from said conduit system to said source.

6. A central lubricating system, comprising a motor, a lubricant pump driven thereby, a source of lubricant for said pump, a plurality of, lubricant measuring devices adjacent the bearings to be lubricated, a conduit system connecting said devices with said pump, and means operable upon a predetermined pressure in said conduit to relieve the pressure therein and stop said motor. i

, 7. A central lubricating system, comprisin an electric motor, a lubricant pump drlven thereby, a source of lubricant for said pump, a plurality of lubricant measuring devices adjacent the bearings to be lubricated, a conduit system connecting saidy -devices with said pump, and means operable subsequent tooperation of saidmeasuring .devices for permitting escape of lubricant from said conduit system and stopping said motor. y

8. A central lubricating system, comprising a motor,"a lubricant pump driven thereby, av source of lubricant for said pump, a pluralit of lubricant measuring devices ad jacent t e bearings to be lubricated, a con-A duit system connecting said devices with said pump, and means operable after said measuring devices have expelled their charges of lubricant to their bearings tor relieving the lubricant pressure in said conduit system and stopping saidmotor.

9. In a central lubricating system having power operated pump means for Jforcing lubricant to the parts to' be lubricated, a lubricant pressure operated device .for effecting -automatic stopping of the operation lo the pump means and reducing the pressure of the lubricant in the system, said lubricant pressure operated device including a cylinder having an inletpassageV and an outlet passage, said inlet passage connectedy to the system and the outlet connected to the lubricant supply, a piston and piston stem normally pressed toward the inlet end of said system to close said outlet vand operable by the pressure of the lubricant to automatically operate a device for discontinuing the supply of power to said pump and to open the outlet passage to permit lubricant to :pass :from the system back to the lubricant supply after the pump has been stopped.

10. A central lubricating system comprising a source of lubricant, metering devices each adjacent a bearing to be lubricated, pipes connecting said devices with said source, power means for withdrawing lubricant from said source and forcing it through said pipes to said devices, manual means for setting said power means in operation, and automatic means for stopping said power means when the pressure in said pipes reaches a predetermined degree, said automatic means giving both visual and audible signals.

11. A lubricating system comprising a source of lubricant, a plurality of cups each located adjacent a bearing to be lubricated, conduits connecting said cups with said source of supply, power operated means for forcing lubricant from said supply to said cups, and means for rendering said power means inoperative when the pressure in said conduits reaches a redetermined amount, said means serving a so to indicate by signal that the bearings have been lubricated.

12. A central lubricating system comprising a lubricant supply reservoir, a pump, a plurality of lubricant cups for discharging lubricant to parts to be lubricated, oon duit means connecting the supply reservoir, pump and cups, and a single control device iii) - further operation ing a lubricant supply operable .to start and stopthe pump and to bypass the lubricant from the conduit means back to said reservoir when operated to stop of said pump.

. 13. A central lubricating system comprisreservoir, a power operated pump, a plurality of lubricant cu s for discharging lubricant to parts to Ee lubricated, conduit means connecting the supply reservoir, pump and cups and a centrally located combined pump control and lubrlcant pressure releasing device connected with the conduit means and with the means through which powei` is supplied to the pump. Y

14. In a central lubricating system, the combination of a souce of lubricant, a lubricant pipe system, a. power operated pump for forcing lubricant from said source to said pipe system, means manually operable to control the supply of power to said pump, and means operable upon a predetermined pressure of the lubricant in said pipe system automatically to actuate said control means to cut olf the supply of power to said pump.

15. In an automobile having an internal combustion engine and a drivers compart-l ment, a central lubricating system for lubricating the chassis bearings of said automobile, said system comprising a source of lubricant supply, a motor driven pump receiving lubricant from said source of supply, pipes connecting said pump with the chassis bearings, ylubricant measuring means in said pump, power operated means for driving said pump, means located outside of the drivers compartment and operable upon a predetermined pressure in said pipes to stop said pump, andmanual means for starting said pump, said manual means having a part extending into the drivers compartment.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HWARD J. MURPHY. 

